Every travel addict dreams of visiting the world’s tallest building, the iconic Burj Khalifa in Dubai at least once in his/her life. I was on cloud 9 when my dream came true 😍! We made a day trip to Dubai from the capital city Abu Dhabi. If you are planning to visit the largest skyscraper in the world – Burj Khalifa soon, then keep reading!
A visit to the world’s tallest building Burj Khalifa, My Dubai Trip Experience:
Before I start writing about my travel experience, let me share a little information about this Dubai landmark!
Location: Burj Park by Emaar (Source: Wikipedia) |
Address: 1 Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Blvd – Dubai – United Arab Emirates |
Height: 828 m, 830 m to tip CTBUH |
Top floor: 584.5 m (1,918 ft) |
Floors: 163 |
Hours: Open 24 hours |
Tickets: Here |
World Records – Burj Khalifa
At over 828 metres (2,716.5 feet) and more than 160 stories, Burj Khalifa holds the following records:
- Tallest building in the world
- Tallest free-standing structure in the world
- Highest number of stories in the world
- Highest occupied floor in the world
- Highest outdoor observation deck in the world
- Elevator with the longest travel distance in the world
- Tallest service elevator in the world
The magnificent Spider Lily-inspired Burj Khalifa tower – a living wonder, is situated adjacent to the Dubai Mall- the world’s largest shopping mall (by total area) and the Dubai Fountain – the world’s largest choreographed fountain show! So we spent a good amount of quality time on the observation decks and in the shopping mall. On our way back to Abu Dhabi, we chanced upon the Mall of the Emirates. I will discuss both shopping malls in a separate post, but today’s post is about my Burj Khalifa tour.
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How To Get To Burj Khalifa, Dubai From Abu Dhabi, 2024:
To get to Burj Khalifa Dubai from Abu Dhabi, you can opt for a bus, metro, taxi or personal car. The bus journey will take around 2 hrs 40m time but is the cheapest mode of transport amongst these options. You can also travel via metro rail that will take you to Burj within the same time frame! However, the fastest way to get to Burj Khalifa from Abu Dhabi is definitely by taxi.
For this day trip, we booked a cab from our hotel Park Rotana, Abu Dhabi. It took about 1 hr 20 minutes by car from Abu Dhabi to Dubai Mall located in Dubai Downtown on a Saturday morning. You can access the Burj Khalifa building from the shopping mall itself since it is situated in the same vicinity! All you need to do is to follow the signs directed toward the skyscraper inside the mall.
About Burj Khalifa Tickets & best time-slots:
I would highly suggest you buy tickets online in advance for Burj Khalifa. You can book the tickets at the entrance of the shopping mall as well, but online tickets are pretty reasonably priced. There is a 30 minutes gap between each slot, and the entire tour takes around 1-2 hours. As this was my hubby’s official trip, we weren’t sure about visiting or exploring any tourist places amidst work. However, we took the chance and booked the tickets for this iconic tower right before the trip. As evening time slots for that day seemed inconvenient for us, we selected the 2 pm afternoon viewing slot!

The best viewing time is definitely 5.30 pm since you can take advantage of the daytime view, sunset, as well as stunning night-time Dubai skyline view from the top of Burj Khalifa! It’s absolutely up to you whether you want to splurge on VIP tickets or save some bucks by buying the general tickets.
The Burj Khalifa skyscraper consists of 206 floors but has an observation deck on the 124th, 125th and 148th levels, respectively. You can explore the world’s highest lounge at 585 meters above the ground alongside outdoor terrace tor at levels 154, 153 & 152! We booked general tickets to see the city from the top of the 124th & 125th floors of Burj Khalifa tower.
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Burj Khalifa- the Vertical City Tour:
After having a scrumptious lunch at the Dubai Mall, we headed straight toward the ticket counter to collect our online tickets. Popularly known as the Vertical City, the Burj Khalifa is located between the Dubai Fountain and the Dubai Mall. It was scorching summer (August) when we visited the city, so you can imagine how the weather was! There are plenty of photo opportunities in and around the Dubai Mall. One of the favorite photo poses of every tourist is being captured with the impressive Burj Khalifa as a backdrop. I did the same but couldn’t take many photos because of the heat 😒.

After a mini photo session in front of the world’s tallest tower Burj Khalifa and admiring the awe-inspired architecture from below, we finally decided to take the much-awaited tour. As we moved toward the elevator, we noticed on the walls the tower management provided plenty of information regarding the construction of this building. Such as how it was built, the engineers and the team behind creating this majestic structure, etc. We also spotted mini replicas of the tower.

While walking through the lift corridor, we did another mini photo session, courtesy of the sweet management person! She was taking photos of all whoever was interested. She also politely asked us, and being a photo-crazy person, I nodded yes!!

Then we entered the world’s fastest double-deck elevator, which took us to level 124th literally within a minute! Usually, when I take such high-building lift rides, my ears pop, and I feel dizzy. But there, before I could feel such things, we were at the observation deck, and that too treated with a pleasant audio-visual experience! The lift monitor displayed information on Burj Khalifa heights, altitude, time period, and everything.
The best part was we didn’t have to wait for long in queues for a lift or security check. As it wasn’t the peak hour, the flow of people was less. Everything was fast, smooth, and well-organized ❤️.
*Info*-
Hey my Instagram-savvy friends! If you take a selfie or photo inside the tower and upload it immediately on IG using the hashtag #burjkhalifa, the outdoor TV monitor at the security check area will instantly display your image to the visitors 😉😊.
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Things to See & Do on level 124th & 125th, Burj Khalifa:
Level 125th, at 456 meters, offers an indoor observation deck with a gift shop, and level 124th has a public outdoor observation deck for visitors.
Let’s start with the 125th floor. The indoor observation deck offers 360-degree panoramic views of the dazzling Dubai city. As I mentioned earlier, we opted for an afternoon viewing slot; the deck was house-full, even at that time! One of my friends booked tickets for level 148th, and she said the observation deck with the sky lounge option was less crowded than 124th & 125th. Make sure to pre-book your tickets to avail the best offer!

The air-conditioned indoor observation deck is spacious and elegantly decorated in an Arabic mashrabiya pattern. At one corner, I spotted cozy hanging chairs as well. How fun! A happy kid in me started swinging & singing the Bollywood number ‘Aaj main upar, asmaa niche’. Dear husband and the public gave me a ‘Girl! You’ve gone crazy’ sort of look!! I usually ignore such looks, haha!
It was a hot, sunny day, so thankfully, the view from the tower was clear. A rainy, cloudy day is never recommended for a tower visit as it completely ruins the viewing experience. You can take in the breathtaking birds-eye views of Dubai’s dunes, Arabian Sea, Dubai fountain, Burj Khalifa lake, and city skyscrapers, everything from this observation deck 😍. I wish the windows were shiny and clean, we found them to be quite dirty!!

There are professional photographers to capture your Burj Khalifa moments (special effects with green screen photography, refer the below pic 😛). However, they do charge an exorbitant price for the same. Out of 10 photos, we selected five, and with that, they made a photo album.

When in the world’s highest skyscraper Burj Khalifa, you cannot miss out on interesting fun activities, such as ‘A Falcon’s Eye View’- a technology that allows you to explore the city through an interactive display placed on the floor. Besides, there is ‘Mission 828’, a virtual reality (VR) tour that will allow you to experience the real feeling of climbing up to the pinnacle of the tower! You can find 6 VR pods on both the 124th & 125th-level observation decks.
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The gift shop on level 125th was crowded with tourists. I purchased a few gifts as souvenirs for myself and my family. Pricewise it seemed costly, but that’s fine! After all, it is Burj Khalifa 😉!!
There is a staircase between the 124th/125th level. It takes you down/up the floor.

The public outdoor observation deck on level 124th offers similar spectacular skyline views 😍. You’ll be astounded to notice that Dubai looks so tiny yet mesmerizing from the top of Burj Khalifa! I wish I were there at nighttime to experience that surreal view of the city skyline. A year later, my husband visited the Dubai Mall with his colleagues. He says the Burj Khalifa looks magical at night, a must-visit place, indeed!
There are also high-powered telescopes to take a closer look at the city’s highlights.

Although the tour lasts 1-2 hours, you can spend as much time as you want once you are at the spot. We spent more than 2 hours and enjoyed every bit of it!
You can enjoy the musical light and sound show, either from the skyscraper itself or from the water-front promenade outside the Dubai mall. This 5-minute fountain show is a free tourist attraction and runs twice in the daytime (1 pm & 1.30 pm) and every half hour from 6 pm to 11 pm.
You may ask how it feels to be atop the world’s highest skyscraper? Honestly, it’s a feeling that I simply cannot describe in words! Standing 828 meters long with 160 habitable floors the majestic Burj Khalifa tower is an impressive feat of engineering design! It has its own unique swag and charisma that attract tons of visitors EVERY DAY, making it Dubai’s best tourist attraction ❤️.

I feel so blessed to visit one of my dream destinations with my soulmate. If you are planning your first trip to Dubai, do not forget to visit the sky-piercing incredible skyscraper, the Burj Khalifa 😍❤️.
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Now tell me,
Have You Ever Been To Burj Khalifa, Dubai? If Yes, Please Do Share Your Experience With Us In The Comment Section Below.
If you found my Burj Khalifa travel-guide helpful then do share it with your friends. Because
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This would be so cool to see! I love your photos. I hope I can visit one day.
That looks like a cool building. I wonder why you can’t go to the top floor.
I’ve actually never heard of this building. My tummy flipped a little seeing those views! I’m not sure I’d be brave enough to go up that high and also stand out there in the open air! Beautiful photos though.
Wow, it must have been a rewarding experience for you. The tower looks incredible and the night view is beautiful.
That is a very tall building, the views are amazing! This would be fun to visit!
The Burj Khalifa looks stunning and on my places to visit when I go to Dubai. What a view as well from the 125th floor!
It’s my dream to see everything from the highest point, even if I will surely have vertigo looking down that high.
Wow! It would be a really amazing and wonderful experience to visit the Burj Khalifa!
I don’t intend to visit Burj Khalifa soon, however I’m glad I kept reading anyway. What an interesting post and beautiful photos!
Wow such an incredible building! The city is breathtaking honestly… a beautiful location to explore.
I’ve been to Burj Khalifa a couple of years ago, I love it!!! It is really impressive especially at night.
It is a cute place to visit. thanks for sharing this with us.
Wow this building is impressive! I would love to visit one day.
Burj-Khalifa is definitely an amazing structure the world has seen! Its tall structure is so majestic! Such an amazing experience you have visiting this building! Totally love it!
I so want to visit here myself personally… such a beautiful place and that building…WOW! I so want to see the architecture there….. I have seen buildings that are crazy beautiful!
Looks like such an incredible experience. That building is amazing! Mesmerizing for sure!
Sounds like an amazing place to visit! Loved checking your pictures out!
wow! I think it’a a unique experience that my family will appreciate it a lot!
I have been to a few of the skyscrapers in our area and it is always so cool looking out to see the skyline.
This sounds like a great place to tour and see the city from above.
This is so cool. I never knew that Dubai was where the world’s tallest building was located. I would love to see it in person for myself!
What a view and what an amazing experience!